Little Lion
by inwiththeoutro
Summary: After a bad dream, and a long night, Stiles and Derek take a look at their dynamic of raising their son.


"Daddy?"

Stiles smiled, looking down over the novel he held in his hands at the small boy in front of him, staring at Stiles with wide, timid eyes. "What is it, hon?"

The little boy frowned. "Where's Papa?" he inquired, small lip quivering slightly.

Stiles hastily closed the book he was reading, setting it to the side to pick up his son, placing the toddler on his lap. "We told you he would be gone tonight. On a business trip, remember?" Stiles grinned, softly tapping the boy on the nose. "A better question would be 'Why aren't you sleeping?'"

The boy frowned grumpily, shifting on Stiles' lap to get comfortable enough to rest his small head against Stiles' chest. "I had a bad dream," he pouted. "I miss Papa."

Stiles leaned his head down, nuzzling against the boy's head affectionately. "A bad dream? Why don't you tell me about it? Maybe I can help for now. Until Papa gets back."

The boy cuddled against Stiles, burrowing his face into the crook of his father's neck. "There were wolves chasing Papa down," he mumbled in a quiet, scared voice, a shaky breath hitting the nape of Stiles' neck. Stiles stiffened at the words, concern flooding his face as he brought his hand to run through the boy's shaggy soft-brown hair. "Wolves? That's silly, hon. Why would wolves be chasing your papa?"

The boy brought his hands up to curl against Stiles' chest, pressing in closer. "Papa said he fought them sometimes and….and they didn't look like the wolves in my books or the zoo. They were like _people_ and they wanted to take Papa from us…" he babbled, voice a little high, a wetness seeping into Stiles' shirt.

Stiles tightened his grip on the toddler, attempting to sooth the young boy. "Sssshhh….Leo, you know that wouldn't happen." He smiled softly as he could feel the boy's eyes raise to meet him. "And even if it could, Papa would be able to protect himself. He is strong, and brave. Even more so than you could ever imagine."

He sniffled a little, wiping his eyes against Stiles' shirt. "He is?" he questioned, tentatively. Stiles pressed a kiss to the top of the boy's head. "Absolutely," he assured, continuing to stroke his hand through his son's hair. "He'll always be able to protect himself. And if for some reason he couldn't, I would."

Leo giggled at that, slowly relaxing in Stiles' arms. "You could not!" he replied, a familiar playfulness slowly replacing the fear in his voice.

Stiles gasped, feigning insult. "What do you mean?"

The boy giggled again, his hands curling around Stiles' shirt. "Papa's stronger! He'd save _you_!"

Stiles let out an exaggerated huff, playing up his disapproval of the statement. "Well, apparently your papa has forgotten to tell you about all the times I saved _him_." He countered, a grin tugging at the corner of his lips as the boy's eyes widened, staring at Stiles' face with curiosity and wonder. "Really?"

"Yep," Stiles answered, smiling proudly. "I'll tell you what – why don't we get you back to your bed, and I'll tell you about some of them."

Leo instantly pulled back, practically jumping off Stiles' lap with enthusiasm. "Can you lay with me?" he asked, quickly, earning a nod from Stiles. "Of course, kiddo." he replied, the boy reaching up to pull at his father's hand, attempting to tug him along. Stiles chuckled, reaching over to turn off the lamp by the chair before standing, allowing himself to be guided to Leo's room.

The boy took a few steps, turning back to face Stiles. "Where is Papa, exactly?" he asked, a pout forming across his lips. "He didn't say goodnight to me."

"He left before you got up this morning, hon. Which is why he said goodbye last night." Stiles reached forward, opening the door in front of them for the small boy. "He had to go take care of some business back in Beacon Hills. You know, where Grandpa lives."

"Why's he gotta be gone for so long?" Leo complained before letting go of Stiles' hand to dart forward to his bed, wiggling under the covers. He reappeared with a huff, staring at the older man. "Why couldn't we _all_ go and visit Grandpa?"

Stiles sighed, squeezing into the small bed next to the child. "You know your papa. When he does something, he does it right. Which is why it might take a little longer. And it wouldn't be fair for us to go along, having fun while he works, would it? But maybe we can see if Grandpa would want to come visit us soon."

Leo brightened, nodding quickly. "He should come here! I could show him my toys and books!" he exclaimed, before confusion spread over his face. "But why can't we go there?"

"It's just not a place for little ones like you right now." he replied, picking his words carefully, adjusting the blanket over himself and his son. "That's why Papa had to go fix it."

The boy frowned at the statement, his arms reaching over to pull his stuffed animal to him. "What's wrong with it?" he asked, a little worried. "Is it scary for Papa? How's he gonna fix it?" He curled the soft wolf into his arms, against his chest.

Stiles softly brushed the hair out of the toddler's face. "There are just some people who came to town for the wrong reasons. And it is Papa's job to convince them to leave." Stiles propped himself on his side, using his elbow to lift his head up. "And, no. Almost nothing is too scary for Papa. If it were, I would be there with him, remember?"

Leo leaned forward, pressing his head against Stiles' chest. "What about me, though?" he asked, softly, his voice filled with nerves. "I know I'm a big boy now, but I don't wanna stay home all alone."

"Well, you could always go have a visit with your Aunt Lydia. You like spending time with her, don't you?"

The child immediately brightened at the words, all worry instantly leaving his face, nodding quickly. "Yeah! Uncle Jackson, too?"

Stiles laughed, smiling down at Leo. "Of course! you wouldn't catch them without each other, silly." He ran his hand through the boy's hair, grinning as he could feel him relax into the touch.

Leo giggled, sighing sleepily. "I miss Uncle Scott, too," he declared, staring up at Stiles, smiling. "And Aunt Allison. And Uncle Peter. And Jason and Rose and Alex," he babbled, lifting a small hand to count off the kids' names.

"Well, how about tomorrow we give them all a call. See if we can get everyone together again for a big party." Stiles frowned, eyes sparkling teasingly. "But what could the party be for? There's not a special day coming up anytime soon…" he huffed, looking down expectantly at the boy.

Leo gasped, shoving his hand against Stiles' chest. "My birthday, Daddy!"

The older man stared down at the boy, turning his head. "What?" he began, incredulously. "That cannot be right. You just had a birthday last year."

The child laughed, shaking his head. "They're _every_ year, Daddy!" he explained in exasperation, causing Stiles to smack his hand against his own forehead, dramatically sighing. "I cannot believe I forgot that!" He shrugged, bringing his hand down to smile at Leo. "That's why we keep your papa around. He remembers these things."

Leo nodded in agreement before beaming up at his father, eyes sparkling with that same curiosity. "Tell me about how you saved Papa!" he demanded, pressing his hand against Stiles' chest, gently shoving him.

Stiles grinned, "Alright," he began, turning over to lay on his back as his son curled up next to him, listening intently. "Well, one time, when we first met, Papa was a little ill. But, even though he was sick, he decided it would be a good idea to go swimming."

The toddler put his head on Stiles' chest, eyebrows rising. "Why would he do _that_?"

Stiles chuckled, thinking back to the evening, unsure why he picked _that_ story, and how he was going to make it believable without adding in the supernatural elements. "Let's just say that Papa wasn't always as smart as he is now."

Leo giggled a little, pressing his face down. "I'm gonna tell him you said that!"

Stiles let mock worry flood his face, putting on a show for his son. "No! You cannot tell him! It has to be our little secret, okay?" He was practically pleading, putting on his best puppy-dog eyes, causing Leo to erupt in another series of giggles, hiding his face in his wolf. Stiles sighed loudly. "Well, if I cannot trust you, I guess I cannot tell you any more secrets." He shifted, faking that he was going to get up out of the bed.

Leo's eyes widened as he let his wolf drop to his side, making a grab at Stiles' arm. "No! I won't tell Papa! I promise." Stiles raised an eyebrow, looking down questioningly at the boy. Leo extended his hand, pinky out. "Pinky promise, Daddy." He solemnly vowed. Stiles let his face fall into a grin, resting back down, locking his finger with the boy's. Leo gave Stiles a chance to settle in before nudging him gently. "What happened next?"

"Well," he began deciding how to go about the story. "I just happened to be at the pool that day. And, when I looked at the water, I noticed Papa was having problems keeping his head afloat."

The child's eyes grew wide with concern. "Oh no! Was he okay?"

Stiles shook his head. "No. Like I said, he was ill. And because he was so sick, he couldn't swim." Stiles frowned, thinking. "Or _move_, really."

Leo's eyes grew huge. "What happened? Did he drown?" His voice was growing higher with worry. "Did you save him?"

Stiles chuckled softly, running a hand through his son's hair reassuringly. "If he did drown, he wouldn't be here, would he, hon?" Leo nodded, relaxing slightly. "I swam over to him as fast as I could and held him up. I made sure he stayed above water until we got out." Stiles finished, deciding to leave off the part about staying in the water for two hours while the Kanima circled them.

Leo closed his eyes, content with the ending to the story. "So, I wouldn't even be here if you hadn't seen him needing help?" Stiles nodded, smiling. "So you saved him and then lived happily ever after, right? Like in the stories."

Stiles laughed, draping his arm over the toddler's shoulders. "Not exactly. It took some work to get to the 'happily ever after' part. We weren't exactly friends at that time."

Leo opened his eyes up, tilting his head questioningly. "Really? You two weren't always in love?"

Stiles laughed again, thinking back fondly. "Not at all. Some people would even say that your papa _hated_ me."

Leo gaped, sitting up in bed. "Why? What did you do?"

Stiles shook his head. "I made him care. He wasn't used to that."

The child made a noise of wonderment, grabbing his stuffed wolf. "But…he cares now, right?" His voice was shaky, hesitant.

Stiles hummed in affirmation, closing his eyes sleepily. "Yes. Especially about certain people." He brought his arm up, pulling the boy back down on the bed. "Like _you_, for instance."

Leo giggled at the response. "And yooouuuu," he drawled out, poking Stiles' nose, extracting a grin from his dad. "Yes. And me." Stiles confirmed as Leo wiggled closer, yawning. "Will Papa be back before I wake up?"

Stiles opened his eyes, looking down at the sleepy toddler. He honestly had no idea when Derek would be home. He had said no longer than a day, but couldn't make any direct promises. "I hope so," Stiles deflected, jokingly hiding his concern. "_I_ don't have a stuffed wolf to sleep next to me."

Leo opened his eyes again, smiling at his daddy. "You can sleep with me!"

Stiles faked a frown, stretching out as far as he could, shoving Leo to the edge of his tiny bed. "I don't know. I take up a **lot** of room." The boy giggled, squirming to hold on to his sheets. "Hey! Don't make me fall, Daddy!"

Stiles grinned, pulling his son back to him. "Never, hon."

Leo grinned back at the use of the pet name, tugging at Stiles' shirt. "We could sleep in your bed!" he offered innocently. "It's way bigger. I could even fit Wolfie with me!"

"I don't know….aren't you getting a little too old for that?" Stiles asked teasingly. He really didn't care what Leo thought the answer was, though. He would never pass up the chance to fall asleep holding the child. Derek had demanded their sleepovers be less frequent, though. He believed Leo to be a little too old to be spending so much time coddled by Stiles. He was glad that Leo didn't agree with Derek, though, as the little boy pouted and shook his head. "Nu-uh! And that way, when Papa gets home, he won't get scared not knowing where you are. And he won't have to check on me 'cause I'll be there with you!"

Stiles laughed, propping himself up on his elbows. "Gosh, you definitely got your papa's smarts. That sounds like a brilliant plan."

The boy smiled proudly at the praise. "I know." he replied, extracting another laugh from Stiles. "You also got your papa's confidence."

Leo grabbed his wolf, holding it close to his chest. "What'd I get of you?" he inquired, eyes shining behind the sleepiness.

Stiles extended a hand to ruffle his son's hair. "You got my sense of humor. And compassion. And playfulness." He narrowed his eyes, thinking. "And my good looks," he added finally.

"Papa says I have your laugh and smile." Leo offered, beaming, as he hopped off the bed. He held his wolf in one hand, the other hand extended to Stiles, beckoning him forward. Stiles let out an exaggerated groan as he sat up, grabbing his son's hand as he was led to the master bedroom. Leo giggled at the dramatized gesture. "Your bed is _way_ bigger! C'mon!" he convinced, pulling Stiles with all his strength to the bed.

Stiles laughed. "I'm getting too old for chasing you around all the time, kiddo." He flopped on top of the bed with a groan.

Leo giggled, climbing on top of the bed with a huff and wiggling down under the covers. "You're getting _so_ old, Daddy."

Stiles nodded, shifting to move under the blankets. "Basically ancient. Which is why I need so much sleep, hon."

Leo stuck out his bottom lip. "Papa would be able to chase me," he challenged.

"Yes, and Papa also spends an hour a day working out, while I spend it playing with you."

The boy frowned. "I thought you liked playing with me…."

Stiles raised his head, looking at the child. "Hey! I never said I didn't." He extended his arm, pulling the boy close to his chest. "Trust me, I'd much rather be playing with you than lifting weights. Playing tag with you is all the exercise I need."

Leo smiled again, though not as brightly. "Me too."

Stiles furrowed his brow. "What's wrong, Leo?" The boy shook his head, bringing the wolf to hide his face. "I can't help if I don't know, hon."

"I wish Papa would play with me more," he whispered, his voice laced with sadness.

Stiles could feel his heart crumble at the words. "Oh?" he asked, softly. Leo nodded against the wolf. "Have you told him that?"

Leo shook his head again, a small sniffle coming from his hidden head. "He works." Stiles sighed, letting his hand trace small patterns on Leo's back. "Yes, but that's not more important than you." he answered, to which Leo just shrugged, murmuring out a silent, "I guess."

"Hey," Stiles said softly, bringing his other hand up to tilt the boy's chin to him, his heart clenching at the sight of the big, watery brown eyes. "What do you mean, 'I guess'?"

Leo sniffled again. "I know he loves me. I just wish I could play with him more. And he didn't say bye to me yesterday…." he bit his lip. "He still likes me, right?"

Stiles breath caught in his throat at the words. He thought back to the first time he'd ever seen Derek cry. They were looking into the hospital nursery, waiting with bated breath, when they wheeled him in. Their perfect baby. Stiles was a mess, smiling and laughing and crying all at the same time, when he turned up to look at his silent partner for some sort of response, only to see a few tears rolling down from his eyes as he stared at the small boy. Then ten minutes later, when Derek got to hold him for the first time (and Stiles insisted that Derek be the first of the two to hold him), how small Leo looked in his arms, how delicate. And how ridiculously happy Derek looked. He couldn't fathom Derek even holding a single ounce of disdain towards Leo. Ever.

Stiles pulled his arm around his son, offering him a small smile. "Hon, sometimes Papa doesn't think about these things. He likes you. He _loves_ you. He probably…." Stiles frowned, trying to find the right words to use. "He probably just doesn't realize how much you love him."

Leo immediately stiffened at the words, a deep frown etching over his face. "I don't show it enough? Should I draw him another picture?" His voice raised with concern, as it did whenever he was distressed. "Or – or a card?" He looked around, raising his wolf in the air, offering it to Stiles. "I can give him Wolfie!"

Stiles could feel his heart lurch as he eyed the small boy, who was desperately searching his father's face, trying to get any clue as to how to make his dad love him. Tears prickled at his eyes, and he swallowed , running a hand through the small boy's messy locks. "No, no. It's nothing you do. I shouldn't have said that, love. Don't worry about it, okay?"

The small boy made a face, playing with the hem of Stiles' shirt. "Daddy?"

"Yes, hon?" Stiles murmured, running his nails atop Leo's head soothingly.

"I don't really have to give him Wolfie, do I?"

Stiles quickly shook his head, willing himself to calm down, blinking down the tears that were threatening to spill over his lips. "Nope," Stiles grinned, faintly. "Not since Papa was the one who picked it out 'specially for you." Stiles cleared his throat, forcing out a laugh.

Leo turned his head up, his eyes wide with concern. "Daddy, are you crying?" He reached a small hand up, rubbing at Stiles' cheek. Stiles quickly shook his head, rubbing through his son's hair, not trusting his voice. He merely smiled, pressing his lips to the boy's forehead. "Papa will be home tomorrow?" Leo asked, hopefulness tinting his voice.

Stiles frowned a little, his grin entirely fading. "I sure hope so," he mumbled, before settling back into the pillows, turning on to his back, pulling Leo to his chest. "Now why don't you get some sleep, baby."

Leo nodded, his hair rubbing against Stiles' chin, yawning faintly. "But you gotta promise to smile, Daddy. 'Msorry I made you so sad."

Stiles let out a small gasp, squeezing the small boy closer to his chest. "Oh, hon," he murmured, hugging him tight. "Nothing you could ever do would make me sad." He tried to smile, a couple of tears spilling out of his lids. Leo quickly tipped his head up, kissing Stiles' cheek, using the hand that wasn't clutching his wolf to wipe away the wetness. "I love you, Daddy."

Stiles couldn't help but laugh. His son was hardly three, and was taking care of _him_. It was incredibly soothing to have the words of confidence from the young child. "And I love you," he countered, firmly, despite the tears which dripped off his chin. "More than anything."

Leo beamed, pulling back and curling into his dad's arm. "To the moon?"

"And further."

A small giggle came from around the plush wolf. "How much further?"

"To the very end of the universes," said Stiles, matter-of-factly. "And if I could measure past that, it would be even more." Leo pulled his wolf down a bit, offering Stiles a very sleepy smile. "Can we sleep now, Daddy?"

Stiles moved his hand down, swiping at the boy's cheek before pecking it softly. "I've been waiting on you for that, kiddo." Leo nodded, pressing his head close to Stiles' chest, his arms clutching the wolf. Stiles began humming a small lullaby, carding his fingers through Leo's soft hair. He felt the boy relax against him, his breathing becoming a steady, even rhythm. He smiled to himself, basking in the warm love that radiated off his perfect son, as he began to drift off himself. His last conscious thought was thinking about how wonderful it would be if Derek would be in bed with them when they both woke up.

The morning light shone in through the blinds, hitting the small child in the face. He wiggled a bit, curled between the arms of both his dads, not wanting to move from the safe and secure spot. He blinked a few times when he realized the weight of the arm to his right hadn't been there when he'd fallen asleep – Leo had gone to sleep with Daddy, not Papa. He shifted his body around quickly to see Derek fast asleep next to him, a wide smile stretching over his face. Papa was home.

"Daddy!" Leo shrieked, his little fist tapping at Stiles' shoulder. "Daddy! Papa's home!" He nudged Derek with his other hand, shaking his face forward and back, his hand cupping Derek's jaw. Stiles let out a small groan, not really listening. Leo had a habit of screaming things when he first woke up, wanting immediate attention and affection. "That's great, hon. Give me a couple of minutes." Stiles rolled over, removing his arm from Leo, curling it around his own stomach.

Leo huffed, turning entirely to face Stiles' back, sitting up. He shook the man's shoulders, slamming into his back. "Daddy! Daddy. You gotta wake up!" Slowly, Derek wrapped an arm around Leo's waist, pulling the boy back to his chest, laughing sleepily. "Ssshh, kiddo. You're going to blow out Daddy's eardrums," he teased, pressing a long kiss to Leo's forehead. Leo laughed, his splitting grin exploding on his face as he wrapped both his arms around Derek's neck.

Hearing the second voice, Stiles flipped back over, waking up instantly. To his shock, and immediate pleasure, he saw Derek laying less than two feet away, holding his – _their_ - son in a tight embrace. A smile that could match Leo's spread over Stiles' face, his eyes prickling with tears as he heard Leo mumble, "I missed you so much, Papa."

Derek hummed, pressing another kiss to Leo's cheek. "Missed you too, buddy," he confirmed, before averting his eyes over to Stiles, hearing the other man's sharp intake of breath moments earlier. He gave Stiles a soft smile, knowing the man was searching Derek's face for any immediate sign of damage. There was a small, healing cut right below his hairline on his forehead, but, other than that, there were no visible signs of distress, other than the dark circles under his eyes. Derek returned the searching gaze, reaching a hand out, cupping the back of Stiles' neck, raising an eyebrow as he saw a tear drop down the younger man's cheek.

"Why are you crying?" Derek inquired softly, voice laced with concern. Leo pulled back to turn his head, laying it flat against Derek's chest, looking over at his daddy, his concerned grimace now matching Derek's. "He started crying last night too, Papa," he hastily informed Derek.

Stiles' eyes were locked on the cut, desperately wanting to run his thumb across it, but he didn't want to draw extra attention to it. For Leo. Blinking, he feigned a soft laugh, reaching his trembling hand out to rub at Leo's messy hair. "What did I tell you about keeping secrets, pal?"

Leo blushed, hiding his face in Derek's neck. "The crying wasn't a secret!" He defended, feebly. "It was the other thing. Remember, Daddy?" Derek cocked an eyebrow, his hand coming up to the back of Leo's neck, his fingers twirling at the hair at the nape of his neck. "What _other_ secret?" Derek asked curiously. Leo shook his head, giving Stiles a mischievous glance, pursing his lips. "Are you two keeping secrets without me?" In a solid, swift movement, Derek pulled Leo from his chest, lifting him in the air as he himself sat up, swooping Leo flat onto the mattress. "You know how I feel about that," he threatened, raising his hands off the small child, poised to start tickling as he leaned over the boy. Leo shook his head once more, firmly, bringing a hand to his lips, miming the, "locking and throwing away the key" motion. Derek pounced, his fingers dancing up the boy's sides. Leo began squirming, laughing like mad. "D-daddy!" he gasped, "help me!"

"I'll save you, soldier!" Stiles shouted, grabbing Derek's stomach, pulling him back away from Stiles. Derek faked a fight, wiggling a bit in Stiles arms. "Run, while you still have a chance!" Leo squealed, sliding off the bed, running out the room and slamming the door behind him. Derek let out a laugh, turning his head back to give Stiles a kiss on the cheek. "Well, hey there."

Stiles beamed, cocking his head down, brushing their lips together. "Hey there yourself," he mumbled, sighing. He shifted, moving Derek with him, lying back down on the mattress, pulling Derek on top of his chest. He enjoyed the feel of the heavy weight on top of him – it provided a feeling of security he couldn't explain. Derek hummed happily, leaning up to kiss Stiles' chin, settling down on the man's chest, right above his heart, his ear listening in on the rhythmic thud. "Little Lion's playing with his trains," he murmured, his fingers tracing patterns on Stiles' shirt.

"Those have been his favorites lately," Stiles replied, resting his head back, one arm at his side, the other curled around Derek's abdomen. He could feel those tears stinging the corners of his eyes again as he began to speak once more. "We missed you. So very much."

Derek's sense of peace was disrupted at that moment, pushing himself up, sitting on the mattress, looking down at the younger male. "Hey, hey. No. What's wrong? I was only gone a night. You know I missed you both the entire time."

"I know, I know," sniffled Stiles, bringing his hands up, pressing his palms against his eyes. He needed to stop the tears. "I'm just being silly." Stiles knew he could pull it together, but then Derek decided to continue. "And last night?" he asked, his tone firm, though only in worry. Stiles swallowed thickly, contemplating his words. "You know me. I just get emotional when I'm tired."

Derek nodded, shifting up, resting his back against the headboard. He tugged gently at Stiles' wrists, trying to see his husband's face, to pull him up against him. "I'm back now, sweetheart. I'm back, and we're all safe."

Stiles nodded, chewing his lower lip as he scooted up, sighing audibly as Leo's laughter drifted through the room, sadness surging through him. "Are we?"

"Why wouldn't we be?" The words were terse, a wound blown to Derek's pride as Stiles doubted his ability to provide safety for his family. Stiles sensed this quickly, raising his hands in defense, pressing a kiss to Stiles' cheek. "I'm just making sure," he offered, softly. Derek shook his head, pulling back a bit. He chewed his tongue, knowing something bigger was going on, trying not to start an unnecessary fight. "What makes you ask, Stiles?" Derek questioned, stiffly, glaring at the man.

Stiles closed his eyes, pulling his knees up to his chest, resting his head on them as he answered, quickly, getting the words out hastily. "I just – you know I worry. And Leo had a bad night. He had a nightmare. Wolves were trying to take you away. Wolves that looked like people. I don't know. The fact that he's dreaming of it makes me anxious."

Derek's head snapped towards Stiles', his eyebrows furrowing. He looked to the door, his voice dropping as his heart clenched for his little boy. "What? How does he even know about any of that. We've been careful not to mention it around him." He rubbed his face over with his hands, an expression of utter exhaustion, both physical and mental, clearly displayed in his expression. "What did you tell him?"

"I said it was impossible." Stiles recounted, reaching a hand out, pressing down soothingly along Derek's arm. "I said that if it were possible, that you would protect yourself. Or I would protect you." Derek didn't respond to the words. Stiles sighed, loudly. When they had decided to have the boy, they used Stiles' semen to make sure that Leo wasn't born a wolf. They both knew it was a part of his family, though. Derek wanted to tell the boy right away, tell the truth about his Papa and all of the family friends. Stiles, however, was adamant that Leo was too young, and he knew that Derek was not pleased with his decision to declare the "wolf people" impossible. "I know we have to tell him, but he's so young…"

"This was the age I started changing," Derek cut off, shortly. "I know Leo won't change. But Jason will. And what happens when Jason and Leo play together, and Jason changes? He'll feel like we betrayed him." Jason, Scott and Allison's son, was born around the same time as Leo. "He already loves the animal, anyway. Besides, if he's having nightmares, knowing how strong I really am might make him feel safer."

This time, it was a blow to Stiles' pride. He huffed as he dropped back, the sensitive spot in his insecurities being hit. "He shouldn't need to know that one of his fathers has super-strength to feel safe," he quipped, softly. "Next time he wakes up with a nightmare when you're out fighting werewolves, I'll just tell him that it probably won't happen." Though the years had changed many things about Stiles, he never lost his best defense – sarcasm.

Derek crossed his arms over his chest, clearly trying not to pout. "You know I had to leave last night. The wolves crossed territories, and that would put your father and, subsequently, us in danger. Are you really going to hold that against me? You know I would have rather been here helping you with Leo's nightmares. I –" Derek sighed, bringing his palms up to rub at his eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm exhausted, and my mood is out of check. Let's not argue about this. I apologize for jumping on you. Leo will get told when we both decide the time is right. But, when he does find out, I don't want him thinking we lied. So we need to figure out how to avoid saying yes without saying no." He brought his hands down, giving Stiles a drained look. "Better?"

Stiles nodded, taking a breath in. "Yeah. I'm sorry, too. We – we will talk though. When you've had some sleep." He remembered the promise he made to Leo, that he and Stiles would talk to Derek together. Derek raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong?" He eyed Stiles, listening to the increase of his heartbeat, the jump of his pulse, as Stiles shook his head. "Stiles," Derek began with a sigh. "How long have we known each other?"

"Almost nine years."

"And the whole, 'I can tell when you're lying,' thing still hasn't sunk in?" Derek drawled, a small smile turning up his lips. He scooted a bit closer, knowing that Stiles craved physical contact whenever he was upset, which he clearly was. Stiles never had a good resolve against Derek – he couldn't stay angry. So, when Derek wrapped an arm around his shoulders, and pulled him in closer, he didn't hesitate to meld into Derek's touch, his head going to Derek's shoulder. "Now. Are you going to tell me what's going on?" Derek's voice was much softer; it had lost the firm tone, and was purely a voice of comfort.

Stiles chewed his lip. "Okay. So, he's three. So take all of this with a grain of salt, okay?" Stiles began, closing his eyes as he recounted the story. "Leo….Leo asked me last night if you like him. Because he doesn't know for sure that you do. He was upset that you didn't tell him goodbye. And that you don't play with him as much as I do."

Derek's eyes fell closed as Stiles spoke, his heart thudding in his chest. Leo thought that Derek didn't like him. How was that possible? Derek greeted him with a kiss this morning, woke up with him right away. "You stay home, I work." Derek croaked out, his throat quickly becoming tight. "I'll talk to my boss. I'm going to make my schedule more toddler friendly."

Stiles rubbed his hand over Derek's abdomen, pressing his lips to the side of his neck. "Derek, you know you're a wonderful father. And he loves you so much." He nudged Derek's chin with his nose, affectionately. "He asked me if he could give you Wolfy."

Derek couldn't help but laugh at the words, opening his eyes finally. He had successfully fought back the tears, resolving to use the energy he could spend crying proving to his son that he loved him. "He's my whole world." Derek announced, listening to the boy outside the doors, making a loud noise as he crashed two of his trains together. Smiling faintly, he dipped his head down, kissing the tip of Stiles' nose. "You both are. I love you."

Stiles tipped his head up, catching Derek's lips against his. "How much?" he asked, playfully.

"To the moon." Derek replied without missing a beat. His head turned to the door as his ears picked up the patter of small feet, propelling down the hallway. "Prepare for the tornado to brush by," he warned, giving Stiles another quick kiss as the door flew open, Leo darting into the room. With a huff, Leo crawled off the floor, toddling carefully on the bed to reach his dads.

"Hey, hon!" Stiles called, catching the boy as he reached them, settling him on Derek's lap, Stiles curled to their sides. "Are you about ready for breakfast?"

Leo giggled as Stiles positioned him, nodding happily as he reached his hand up, rubbing through Derek's stubble. "Can you make pancakes?" he inquired, hopefully, snickering giddily as Derek moved his mouth down and made a motion to bite at Leo's hand. Leo pushed himself up, standing a bit uneasily on the mattress, extending his hands to pose for his dads. "I got myself dressed!" He preened, donning an inside-out grey shirt and a pair of wrinkled cargos, things he had been able to reach from his two bottom dresser drawers. Stiles reached out a hand, smoothing down the front of his shirt. "Of course. Pancakes for my Little Lion," he cooed, pleased with his son. "Since he dressed himself so well. And maybe some bacon for Papa?"

Leo curled back into Derek's lap, grinning proudly at Stiles' praise, reaching down to play with his sock. "I couldn't find my blue jacket," he groaned, disappointed. Derek pressed a kiss to the top of his head, and, smiling once more, Leo moved right along. "Can I help make the pancakes?" Stiles nodded, and Derek gave him a smile. Stiles made to move off the bed, to stretch out his back, and Derek made his move – he grabbed Leo in his arms, cradling him like an infant, and called out, "I think I'll have Little Boy instead of bacon!" He made chomping noises, right above Leo's stomach, tickling his sides viciously.

The small child giggled like mad, crying out for Stiles' help. "Daddy! Save me!" He screamed, squirming in Derek's grip. "You know, Derek," Stiles called, putting his hand on his hip. "I think Little Boy would taste much better once he's had pancakes in him." Derek continued for a moment before letting out a small rumble, bringing his head up, narrowing his eyes at Leo, who breathlessly added, "And bacon!" Derek stared, before finally sighing dramatically, sliding off the bed and pulling Leo up onto his hip. "Fiiiiiineeee. I won't eat you. _Yet._"

Stiles beamed at the two males, clapping his hands together. "Excellent!" he declared, extending a hand to lace with Derek's, pulling him forward. "I need all the chefs I can get today. I think we might have some hash browns as well." Leo clapped, before looking at Derek, expectantly. Derek gave him a smile, swiftly moving him up, swinging him up and on to Stiles' back, Leo's arms going around Stiles' neck. He tittered gleefully as Derek pressed in close, squeezing the boy between his chest and Stiles' back, his hands going across Stiles' waist. "Lion sandwich!" he called out in a sing-song voice, Stiles grabbing on to Derek's hands, joining in on Leo's laughter.

If anyone had asked Derek ten years ago how he pictured his life, or told him that this would be it, he would never have been able to believe it. He wouldn't trade anything in the world to change it, though. He pressed a sloppy, wet kiss to Stiles' cheek before doing the same to Leo, pulling the boy back with him and placed the toddler up on his shoulders. He started humming some song, something his mother used to do for him, as he marched Leo into the kitchen. Stiles wiped off his cheek, as he watched the man of his dreams and their perfect son bouncing around the kitchen. Derek did a few rounds before huffing dramatically. "Okay," he bemoaned, tugging a giggling toddler off his shoulders and placing him carefully on the kitchen counter. "Papa's getting too old for this." Leo put his hands to his face, hiding his smile, whispering, albeit loudly. "Daddy wouldn't have even been able to get that far. He said he's _ancient_ last night."

Stiles turned on his heel, gasping in mock disgust, glaring at the boy. "Leo! How dare you?! And I was going to make you animal pancakes." Leo dropped his hands, his eyes going wide. "But, you didn't say the _whole_ night was a secret!" Stiles shook his head, turning back around to grab the big mixing bowl from the large cabinet. "Well, I don't want your papa knowing I'm so old. He may not like me anymore."

Derek made a thoughtful noise, setting his chin on his hand, looking at Stiles carefully. "Hmmm. He may be right." Leo gasped, looking between the two men. He gave Derek a stern look. "Well, Papa, how old are you?" Derek moved a hand up in a conspiracy whisper to Leo. "Twelve. Daddy's _25._" With another gasp, Stiles whacked Derek on the back of the head with the spatula he was holding. Derek made a dramatic pained noise at the smack (though it felt like nothing more than a breeze of the wind), grabbing the back of his head with a histrionic pout. "Ow! Leo, are you going to let him beat me up?" Leo swung his legs on the counter, laughing still from Stiles hitting Derek. "I want a wolf pancake!"

"Someone's on my side," Stiles sang, handing Leo the big bowl, setting the whisk and measuring tools next to him on the counter. Leo pulled his legs up on the counter, crisscrossed, placing the bowl in his lap, ignoring Derek ask he looked scandalized at the other males. "My only son and my darling husband are against me! I've no reason to live!" He collapsed on the counter, his arms outspread and cheek pressed against the counter, tongue sticking out and eyes shut. Stiles raised an eyebrow, looking at Derek. "Leo, I think Papa's dead….which means more pancakes for us!" He pressed a quick kiss to Derek's temple, placing the carton of milk next to his head.

Leo reached over the bowl to poke Derek's cheek a few times. "Paaaapaaa!" He shouted, trying, and failing, to sing as Stiles had. "You need bacon!" Derek didn't flinch, letting the boy poke to his heart's content. With a huff, Leo sat back. "Daddy? You'll revive Papa after all the bacon's gone, right?"

"Of course, hon. He'll just need some CPR," replied Stiles with a smile, seeing Derek smirk at the remark. "I might even be nice enough to save some for him." Leo hummed, frowning at his Papa, before he decided it was time to move on. He set the bowl to the side, making grabby hands at Stiles. "We need more mixing stuff!"

"I'm on it!" Stiles saluted, going over to lift Leo off the counter, setting him on the floor. "Leo, hon, do you think you can grab the eggs from the refrigerator?" Leo nodded eagerly, going to the fridge. Stiles walked over to the pantry, grabbing the rest of the ingredients, watching Leo out of the corner of his eye. He reached the counter as soon as Leo did, who was concentrating on not dropping the carton, his tongue stick out the corner of his mouth (a habit he'd picked up from Stiles). "Great job, kiddo!" Stiles congratulated, taking the carton and putting it on the counter, before lifting Leo again, placing him by the bowl. With a frown, Stiles observed the slowly cluttering counter space. "Derek, sweetie," Stiles teased, lightly. "I know you're dead and all, but could you possibly move a bit so we can mix the pancakes?"

Derek peeked an eye open to glare at Stiles, observing Leo looking incredibly proud from the praise he had received from Stiles. Staying exactly where he was, Derek awkwardly used one hand and an ankle wrapped around the stool he was sitting on, scooting down the counter, doing his best to still play dead. Derek was someone who committed. However, he did take the time to rewet his tongue, since experiencing it dry out wasn't the most comfortable thing. "Thanks, love," Stiles cooed, patting the top of Derek's head. He grabbed the whisk to hand to Leo before he gasped. "Oh! I forgot the most important thing!" Stiles moved away from the counter, Leo looking at him with curious eyes. Stiles dove into the pantry, coming out quickly with aprons, one in a size for each of the males. "We have to look the part, right, pal?"

Leo nodded eagerly, extending his arms as Stiles looped the apron around him, putting it around his head, tying it loosely behind his back. Stiles began putting his on as Leo spoke. "What about Papa? He's in the kitchen too." Stiles grinned, his hands going behind his back to tie his apron. "Well, he's not entirely helping. If he were alive, I would have the perfect apron for him….." Stiles trailed off, looking expectantly at the boy.

Leo sat up on his knees, leaning over to shake Derek's shoulders. "Papa, get up! You gotta wear the apron, too!" he complained. Stiles stepped forward carefully, holding his hands out incase Leo happened to lose his balance. Seconds later, as Stiles had been prepared for, Leo threw himself forward to shake Derek harder and missed, falling forward, about to stumble off the counter with a shout of fear. Derek was up in a split second, faster than any human speed, catching the boy before he could even reach the edge, swinging him around and back to the original counter space in milliseconds, sitting him down gently. The little boy looked at Derek with wide, wet eyes, Derek's expression fiercely serious. "What _don't_ we do, Leo?" Derek asked, sternly. The toddler's lip quivered, not leaving Derek's gaze, as he had been taught to do. "Get rowdy on the table," he answered, somberly. Derek nodded, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

Stiles stood there, his arms still extended, eyes wide. The scene that played before him didn't seem real. "Leo," Stiles finally got out, shakily, "Darling, why don't you go play, huh? Papa and I will finish the pancakes."

Leo looked to Stiles, a tear dripping down his face. "But – but – I wanted to help!"

"I know, hon," Stiles soothed softly, coming forward to affectionately rub the boy's head, lifting him off the counter and on to the floor. "but I need to talk to your Papa." Derek sighed at the words, running a hand through his hair and shutting his eyes briefly. Leo pouted, sniffling as he ran to his room, slamming the door behind him, as Stiles called "I'll get you when food is ready." As soon as he was sure Leo wasn't listening, he turned, staring at Derek.

Derek kept his eyes closed, feeling Stiles' gaze on him. He couldn't bring himself to open his eyes, to meet the eyesight. "Yes?" He asked, hesitantly, his voice on edge.

"I could have caught him," Stiles said, softly, trying to keep his voice calm, though his hands shook. Derek didn't respond, removing his elbow from the counter to run his hands over his face, nodding, slightly. It was a few moments before Stiles spoke again. "So what happened, then?" Stiles inquired, trying not to keep the anger subsided.

"I didn't think about it," Derek got out, groaning. "All I saw was Leo headed straight to the ground, and I couldn't let that happen. I don't think he noticed the speed," he defended. "I told you. I'm still wound up from last night. Thinking of either of you getting hurt –"

"What, Derek?" Stiles cut off, unable to keep the anger out of his voice any longer. "What? Because I doubt it is any worse than how I feel when I imagine either of you getting hurt." Stiles threw his arms up, exasperated. Derek pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing. "There were _kids_ last night. Had to be seven or eight. The Alpha was making them do the dirty work. They were the ones who were going to die. I don't know. It's different if I have the strength and speed and status – everything I could need to protect you both. But somehow it doesn't seem to do much good." He opened his eyes, looking up to Stiles. He extended his arms, opening for a hug. "Come here?"

Stiles looked at him, incredulously. "You know, Derek, sometimes I think you get too lost in how the wolf can help us that you don't consider how _you_ can help us."

Derek frowned, his arms dropping. "Fine," he got out, defeated. "I'm sorry I overreacted and caught our son before he left the counter."

"Don't patronize me, Derek!"

"I'm not!" Derek waved his hands, frustrated. "What else do you want me to say? You're still mad from this morning. What can I say to make this all better?"

"That you think of me as an equal when it comes to taking care of our son!" Stiles shouted, slamming the spatula he'd been holding firm in his hands down on the counter.

Derek stared in shock, taking in the words. He'd never thought of Stiles as any less than his equal – if anything, Stiles, in his eyes, was more devoted, more apt to taking care of Leo. "Stiles…of course I do," he sighed, standing up from his seat, taking a tentative step forward. "Remember when we decided to have a family? We had this conversation several times before Leo was even born."

Stiles just shrugged, wrapping an arm around himself, looking away. "I don't know, Derek. I know we discussed all that, but you didn't trust that I'd catch him. And you didn't think I handled his nightmare right. And last night _he_ didn't even believe that I would be able to protect you…or him. He asked for you directly after the nightmare. I had to be the substitute until you got back."

Derek frowned deeper, taking the two other steps to be in front of Stiles, wrapping one hand around Stiles' elbow, the other going to tilt Stiles' chin up. "I trust you. You know I trust you. Why on Earth would I let you stay at home with him all day, every day if I didn't? Look at me," he instructed, softly, meeting the wet gaze of Stiles. "I know you would have caught him. I know you could take away his nightmares. You are a wonderful father. Better than me. We just have different roles in his life. He sees us differently." Stiles sniffled, looking away slightly, Derek tapping his fingers along his jaw. "I know if you had to protect him, or me, you would fight tooth and nail to keep us safe. Until your very last breath. I'll never forget how you've done it for me."

Stiles smiled sadly, shaking his head. "Last night, I told him about the swimming pool. I left out the part of the kanima and Scott and everything, but I still made sure he knew I saved your life. I had to prove to him, because he didn't believe me when I said I had."

"That's because I filled his head with amazing stories of me saving you." Derek countered, pressing a kiss to the corner of Stiles' lips. "I promise. I'll start telling him how much of a hero Daddy is. A bigger hero than me." Stiles sighed, turning his head to fully catch Derek's lips, molding into his touch before a small voice had him turned around.

"D-daddy? P-papa? You're not fighting 'cause of me, right?" Leo's voice came from the hallway, the boy peeking his head out of his doorway, eyes wide and cheeks wet from listening to Stiles' shouting. Stiles quickly pulled off Derek, dropping to the ground as his heart melted for the young boy. "Oh, hon. Of course not." He held out his arms for Leo to come to him. The boy ran quickly, wrapping his arms around Stiles' neck, his tears wetting the bare skin. Derek dropped down as well, kneeling behind Stiles, bringing an arm forward to rub soothingly at Leo's back. "Are you sure?" the toddler asked, softly. "I'm positive." Stiles replied, his arms circling around the young boy. "I am sorry my shouting scared you, hon. I never want that."

Derek reached up, running his fingers through Leo's mop of a head of hair, before resuming his hand running down his spine, his other arm wrapped firmly around Stiles, reaching along Leo as well. "Daddy's right, sweetheart. We didn't mean to scare you. You'd never be the reason for us fighting," he assured, the firm confirmation in his voice causing Leo to relax into Stiles arms, his voice a little muffled as he finally spoke. "Can we make pancakes now?"

Stiles tilted his head down, looking at the beautiful boy in his arms, before tilting his head back, looking at the handsome man holding the both of them. "Yes," he replied, a smile turning up his mouth, a few happy tears appearing in the corners of his eyes. "I couldn't think of anything I would want to do more."


End file.
